Spiral Tapes
by Echlolie
Summary: Have you ever felt you were in love with someone you've never met? You feel you know so much about them that it doesn't matter if you've never been able to run a hand through their hair or see what they look like when the sun is setting? I know I have. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and this is my story. (AU - SasuNaru)
1. The Spiral Tapes

**Hi all, Ellie here again. I just suddenly had the idea for this story, and I had to write it straight away. I've not gone over this at all really, but I feel that the way it's written means it needs to be done quickly. I don't really know. I'm not sure if anyone will read this, but I'm enjoying the idea so far. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it too.**

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_Have you ever felt so connected and in love with someone you've never met? You feel you know so much about them that it doesn't matter if you've never been able to run a hand through their hair or see what they look like when the sun is setting? I know I have. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and this is my story._

It was a warm autumn evening when it happened. School had finished and I'd already returned home to change and drop off my bags. I didn't like to stay long; when nobody else was there the place felt incredibly empty, not that I'd admit that.

I headed to the library, like usual. It wasn't that I had nowhere else to go. I had a couple of friends that wouldn't mind me coming over to their's in the afternoons, or the many girls that sent me love notes and asked me on dates would probably love to have me spend time with them. I just preferred to be alone. I had space to think, or to lose myself in a book, or sometimes just the music playing out of my cassettes. That's right, a cassette. I guess you could call me old-fashioned, but I prefer tapes and vinyl's to ipods and cds. Something about them just seems so much more special to me. But anyway, I went to the Library, like I always do.

It wasn't empty, but it wasn't busy either. A couple of people looked up and nodded when I entered; I'd seen them there before, as they had me. A couple of new faces, and a few that I'd seen only once or twice. Nothing out of the ordinary. I felt like reading that day. Something different. Not a comedy or a mystery, not a love story either. I'd always hated those, Love Stories. They were so unrealistic and gave so much false hope. I passed down several isles, past non-fiction and the magazines, all the way to the section at the back. The old books. Ones that hadn't been rented out in years, the ones that people forgot existed. I bent down slightly, brushing each of the spines gently with a single finger, dust coming off at the movement.

I was about to choose a title, I believe it was called "What ever happened to baby Jane?", when I noticed a gap in the books. Not one where another book had been taken out, but as if something had been slotted between them, it was just too small and too far back to be seen. I pushed them to one side and there, at the back of the dusty, forgotten shelf was a tape. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands. The cover had nothing on it but a small spiral in the centre. Intrigued, I reached into my pocket and took out my cassette player. I popped out the tape that was currently in and slid the book shelf cassette in instead. I unwound my headphones and slid them on, pausing for a moment before pressing play. And this is where it all began.


	2. Tape 1 - Side 1

**Hi everyone. I was very surprised this got reviews, but thank you! I'm going to try and update everyday. The chapters will be small, but I haven't got time to update a lot if they're big. I hope that's okay. I think it suits the story better if the chapters are short anyway, but that's just my opinion.  
Note: The text in italics is what Sasuke is thinking whilst listening to the tapes. You probably already guessed that but I thought I'd make it clear.**

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There's silence for a moment then the reels of the cassette start spinning and I can hear the static of a tape recorder on the other end. There's a quiet rustle, and then a voice speaks up. It's not deep or high, about average really. It's a little husky, like their throat is sore, but I can tell it's always like that without being told.

"Hey, I guess. If you're listening to this, then you must've found my tape. Well, the first one anyway." _The first one? There's more?_ "The Spiral Tapes, that's what I'll call them. Suits them pretty well don't you think? Heh, anyways let's get down to business. These tapes aren't anything special really. They're something I needed to make, something I needed someone to listen to. And you just so happen to be that someone. If you found this, I guess we already have two things in common." _We do?_ "You like old books. You wouldn't have come across it otherwise. The second is that you like cassettes. Either that, or you're just hanging onto your old player. But either way, not many people have tapes any more; and we both do."

I pause the tape for a second, pulling the headphones off my ears and putting them round my neck. I push my scarf over my shoulder again and pull up my bag before walking back down the isles to one of the tables in the centre of the Library. I pull out a chair and drop my bag under the table, slipping the headphones back over my ears and press play once more.

"These tapes are going to be somewhat like a diary. Only my voice is the pen and your ears are the paper. And neither of us know who the other is. If that doesn't appeal to you, feel free to take this tape out and slot it back onto the shelf you found it on. I'm sure one day somebody else will find it. But if you would like to know my story, then that's great: keep listening."_ I'm listening._

"Okay, so I guess we should start from the beginning. I'm warning you now, I've not led a very fortunate life. This isn't going to be about happy families and magical first kisses. But I have a feeling, that if you're listening to this, your life hasn't been perfect either. Or maybe it has."_ It hasn't._ "But I thought I'd get that out of the way. You know what some people are like: they can't deal with the harsh reality of life. But that's what this is going to be about. Life. Or to be more specific, my life. So if you'd like to hear how it began, flip the tape. It all starts on side two."


	3. Tape 1 - Side 2

**I'm sorry about the delay for this chapter. I was really unsure of how to write it, but I think it turned out okay. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, thank you for the reviews!**

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"It all starts on side two."

The tape finishes and all I can hear is the reel spinning. I press stop and slide my headphones off my head and stretch in my chair. I need to think about this for a minute. This isn't something that happens to a person everyday. This is the type of thing that happens in books or movies. But I want to know more now. I don't get interested in things often, but when I do, it becomes almost like an obsession. And somehow, the boy on the tapes has caught me. And so I gently prise the tape from the player, hold it in my hand just a second before flipping it over and slotting it back in.

I take off my scarf, wondering why I put it on in the first place. It's not cold outside or in, so it seems a little pointless now that I think about it. I stuff my scarf in my bag and tug at my jumper sleeve before I pull my headphones back over my ears and press play.

"So you decided to keep on listening? Heh, good for you. Okay, so let's go back 17 years. There's a woman in a hospital bed. She has long red hair and a huge smile on her face. A tall man with messy blonde hair is stood next to her. One of his hands is holding her's, the other is cradling a tiny newborn baby. That's me! The baby I mean. I'm pretty healthy, a good weight and size." He pauses and I can hear chuckling. "They take me home later that day. Ma's tired and goes straight to bed but my dad can't stop fussing over me. Let's skip forward a couple of years. I'm 2 years old now, and I'm already talking and walking. Though I am pretty clumsy most of the time but whatever. We're a very happy family. My dad has a good job and we live in a big house, and my ma stays at home everyday to look after me. Though my father has to cook us dinner cause ma just burns everything she touches." He chuckles again, this time a little louder.

"However, there wouldn't be any point to these tapes if things kept going great, would there? I warned you this wouldn't be happy. Let's skip forward another 2 years. I'm 4 years old now. I'm at a friends house, and we're in his garden playing in the sand-pit. Even from a very young age, he could make some amazing sand sculptures, but whenever I'm around he doesn't get much done cause I always knock 'em down! Anyways, we were playing in the sand when his sister runs out. She's only 10 years older than us but she looks after us almost all the time cause his parents work full time. She's got tears in her eyes and she quickly picks up her brother and nudges him indoors before turning to me. I can tell something is wrong just by the way she's looking at me." There's a long pause and I hear him take a deep breath before continuing.

"There's been a fire at my house." _Oh god. "_My dad's got severe burns and he's being treated as we speak. My ma..." I can hear sniffing but the tape keeps on rolling. "Ma didn't survive the fire." _Oh my god. _"I'm too young to understand the severity of the situation, but I still start to cry. I know something very bad has happened. His sister says they'll look after me until my dad's better. But unfortunately, my father never gets better. He dies in hospital 5 hours later; his burns were too severe." _I am so sorry. _"I stay with my friend for almost a week, but soon some men come and take me away and I get put in a foster home. I don't know anyone, and I feel so alone. But that's enough for this tape." _What? _

"You'll have to work to find the next one. Tape number two isn't in the Library, you see. Near the centre of town, down that little side alley by the town hall, there's a café. It's only small, but there's always someone there. It's got a lot of regular customers; I used to be one of them. The place is called Kohi Coffee. I recommend getting a mocha, they do them really great. The man who runs it is called Iruka. While you order your coffee, tell him that you need the next spiral. He'll understand. See you there!"


	4. Kohi Coffee

**Hello everyone. Sorry for the delayed update again. I think I'm going to have to update every 2 days instead of everyday as I just do not have enough time. I'm sorry if this chapter disappoints anyone, but I feel we need to focus on Sasuke a little too, or else we'll only learn about Naruto. Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews! I didn't expect anyone to read this so yeah, thank you! Please keep reviewing as I love to read what you think.**

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The tape rolls to a stop and I'm about to take my headphones off when I receive a gentle tap on the shoulder. I slide them off and turn round to find the Librarian looking at me nervously.

"I'm sorry but we'll be closing in 5 minutes. If I could ask you to be leaving soon..." she says, pushing her glasses up her nose and fiddling with the sleeves of her blouse.

"Of course. Thank you for letting me stay." I reply, hanging the headphones around my neck and picking up my bag before slinging it over my shoulder and walking out. It's a lot colder now, and the sun isn't visible, the only light coming from windows and street-lights. I retrieve my scarf from my bag and tie it snugly round my neck. The walk to the centre of town isn't far, only about 10 minutes or so, but the wind starts to pick up and I can feel it biting at my face. I didn't bring a hat or coat, so I'll be thankful by the time I get there.

I finally get to the alley described and make my way down, coming out the other side in a little circle of small shops I didn't know existed. Most of them are closed, but I can see a pub with light still in it's windows and at the far side, a little old coffee shop with a rusty sign spelling out 'Kohi Coffee'. I walk slowly across the space, my mind still processing all that has happened today. I feel like I'm somehow involved in something secret; something special.

My heart beats a little faster as I push open the coffee shop door, a bell ringing above my head to let the owners know someone has entered. I look around, and notice that the boy on the tapes is right. Although it's dark out, and the weather is cold, there are two customers, each sat at their own table. They're both young as well, a little older than me maybe but still under 20. I drop my bag at a small table in the corner and make my way up to the counter.

"Excuse me." I call quietly. There's nobody at the counter, but I can here noise in the room behind.

A couple of seconds later and a man comes out of the door carrying a stack of coffee mugs. He's got long brown hair and a large scar across his nose, though the rest of his features are pretty young. He's probably in his late 20s.

"Ah sorry, I was just doing some cleaning." he says cheerily, despite the late hour. "What would you like?"

"A mocha please, with cream."

"Certainly! It'll just be a minute. I'll bring it over when it's ready." he replies, putting the cups into a cupboard under the till and getting to work on my drink. I'm about to ask about the tapes but I decide to wait until after I've had my drink. I could do with it now anyway, my hands are freezing from the walk here.

I take a seat at my table and take off my scarf, again. I rummage in my bag for a bit, finally retrieving my phone and write a quick text to my brother informing him I'll be late home tonight. Itachi and I never used to be close, but things have changed recently and I'm glad. It was a little lonely being in a house with someone you tried to ignore.

"A mocha with cream." a voice says and I look round to see the serving man, who I realise to be Iruka, with my drink. He places the saucer on the table with a smile and is about to turn away when I speak.

"I've actually come here for a reason...I need the next spiral."

His face loses it's brightness almost immediately, but he tries to cover it up with a false smile. "Oh. I see. Sure, I'll be right back."

I wait for a little, sipping at my mocha. The spiral boy is right, it's one of the best I've had. The coffee is blended perfectly with the milk and the cream just adds a little needed sweetness. I'm not a sweet kind of person, but a mocha without cream is just a little too bitter.

Iruka appears again, making his way slowly through the café until he reaches my table. "Here." he says, sliding a cassette onto my table. It's almost identical to the last one, apart from their are two spirals on this one. The previous tape had an orange spiral on it, where as this one has one red spiral on the left, and a yellow one on the right.

I thank him and turn back to my mocha, picking up the tape and putting it in my pocket.

"Um.." Iruka speaks again, his voice sounding a little cautious. "I just want you to know, I'm glad you finally came for the tape. I've been holding onto it for almost two years now. I don't know what it's about but I know when he gave it to me, he just had this look. And then he never came back here. I know it's something important, so just, thank you."

I just sit there as he turns and walks back to the counter, picking up a stack of dirty mugs and carrying them into the back room once more. I wonder what he means; what it all means. I tug at my sleeve unconsciously, a habit I've picked up over the years.

I finish my mocha and lick the cream from my lips. If things turn out okay, I might come here again; that really was a good coffee. I push my chair back a little and lean into it, relishing the warmth on the indoors. I slip the new tape out of my pocket and turn it over in my hands, wondering what could be on it. I could just play it and find out, but I feel like this should take time. I put it back in my pocket and zip it up all the way to make sure I don't lose it.

I leave $5 on the counter for the mocha. It was only $1.20 but I feel the need to tip him for his help. Wrapping my scarf round my neck once more and pulling my hood over my head, I slip my bag on my shoulder and head out of the door. I'm greeted by a wave of freezing air and I regret not bringing a coat. It's almost 9:30pm as I walk along the side alley and onto the main street, the street-lights showing me the way home and the next cassette tucked safely in my pocket.


	5. Tape 2 - Side 1

**Hi everyone. I'm really sorry for the delay for this chapter. I couldn't write for a while because it was the holidays and I had to go up to Scotland. Then I had a bunch of school work to catch up on and I just never got round to writing this. However, I have no, and it's the longest chapter yet, so I hope that makes up for it a little. Please continue reading and review and look forward to side 2, it'll be out asap!**

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I'm thankful for the warm air that greets me as I enter the house, closing the door behind me and stepping out of my shoes. I drop my bag by the door and hang my scarf on the coat stand. I make my way into the kitchen and find a hot cross bun waiting on the side, a note poking out from under the plate.

"I'm working in my study. Do not disturb. Warm it up and help yourself, I'm sure you'll be hungry when you get in. -Itachi"

I smile a little and slip the bun off the plate and onto the grill and leave it to heat for a couple of minutes while I get out the butter and make myself a black tea, along with another for Itachi. I butter the now warm bun and pick up the plate, carrying the other two mugs precariously in one hand as I slowly make my way upstairs, being careful not to spill any of the liquid on the thick cream carpet my brother is so fond of.

There's a small table on the landing outside Itachi's office and I place the mug gently on the table before giving his door a quick knock and disappearing down the hall and round the corner to where my room is. I close the door behind me, switch on the light and put my tea on my desk. I stretch my arms above my head and hear a few joints pop, before going to my window and closing the curtains. Pulling out my desk chair, and taking a sip of my tea, I unzip my pocket and take out the tape. It lies on my desk while I stare, my mind whizzing as I wonder about the events that have so far unfolded.

It seems like something from a movie. A boy finds a tape containing the life of a stranger. But this is real, and it's happening to me of all people. I'm the silent, unsociable boy who works hard and somehow attracts unwanted attention wherever he goes. One of my few friends once jokingly said to me "Guys want to be you, girls want to be with you." And however much I smirked at his ridiculous quote at the time, there is a sad truth in it.

Even though I find no real interest in other people, they seem fascinated by me. Though nobody wants to know the real me. They want to be with the Sasuke everyone has heard of; the boy who achieves the highest grades in every class including sports, who has received love letters from 95% of the female population of the school. The boy who lives in the big house at the end of the finest street in town, and who lives a mysterious life that, so far, nobody has been allowed to see.  
They don't want to know the Sasuke that spends hours alone in his room listening to old bands on his cassette player, or the Sasuke that has a soft spot for homeless cats. They don't want to know what my favourite season is, or what I like to do on a Sunday afternoon.

It's as if to them, I'm just a shell of a person there to be admired, not someone who actually has feelings.

I snap myself from my thoughts, shaking my head at how self-pitying I can be sometimes. I reach into my drawer and take out my other tape player, untangling the headphones and popping out the Fleetwood Mac cassette that sits inside. I run my eyes along my shelf before I find it's case and pop it in before returning it to its place among my many other tapes. Popping the spiral tape in the player and slipping the headphones onto my head, I pause for just a moment before I take a deep breathe and press play.

"So you made it to Kohi Coffee huh? Good job! Now onto the next story then I guess. I'll pick up where we left. My parents are dead. My friend's sister cannot look after me, not when she has her two younger brothers to look after. So I'm taken away, about an hour from where I was born and raised, to an orphanage. It's not a nice place." _Oh. _"After being there for almost a month, a young couple come and adopt me. They're fun and keep me entertained all day." He pauses and I hear him breathe heavily. "However they're not responsible. They leave me alone in the house at night while they go out to drink with friends, coming back in the early hours of the morning drunk. And the boyfriend isn't a nice drunk." _Oh god._

"The third time it happened, I was still awake; too afraid to sleep with nobody else around. I heard them return and quickly hopped out of bed and downstairs, eager to see them and shake away the loneliness Only they weren't so eager to see me. I remember she barged through the door, tears streaming down her face, knocking me over as she rushed past and up the stairs. I was about to follow when the man came tripping into the house, yelling abuse after her. I went up to him and tugged on his trouser leg, asking for a hug. And do you know what he did?" _What? What did he do? _"He swung his leg forward and kicked me, sending me skidding across the kitchen floor and smacking my head on the table with a yelp. Then he laughed and passed out on the doorstep. I remember clutching my head and feeling blood trickle through my fingers."

I pause the tape and rest my head in my hands. I'm not sure if I can continue to listen right now. It's as if I can see the scene playing out before my eyes, and I don't like what I'm seeing. If I was a weaker person there'd be tears in my eyes, but I'm not so there's not. I breathe slowly for a minute and press the play button once again.

"I don't remember anything after that though, only waking up in hospital with one of the ladies from the orphanage stood next to me. She explained as simply as she could that they weren't appropriated parents, and I wasn't to see them ever again. I didn't cry this time though. I just sat there and took it. I was taken back to the orphanage a day later, my head still in bandages. Apparently I'd been out for almost 3 days, and the damage was pretty bad. They were surprised about how quickly I healed. The kids at the orphanage didn't speak to me much after that. They said I must've been a freak for adoptive parents to have beaten me like they did. I tried to explain that he was drunk but they didn't listen. They just laughed and pushed me away, some of the girls were even afraid of me, and to this day I still don't understand why." _Neither do I _

"I spend another year in the Orphanage. Several couples take me out on day trips to see what I'm like, but they all bring me straight back claiming I'm just not happy enough. I wonder why?" He laughs a little, but it's not a happy laugh. It's sad, and angry.

"However, finally when I'm just about to give up all hope on ever being happy again, a tall man turns up. It's my sixth birthday, and somehow he knows that because he comes baring presents. An orange jumpsuit, a pack of cup ramen and a small swiss army knife." _They're pretty odd gifts... _"They're exactly what I would've asked for. I love ramen, I always have ever since I was able to eat solid food. Orange is my favourite colour. And the knife just makes me feel badass! I don't remember the man, but he says he's known me since I was very small. He's got long, fluffy white hair and he's huge. I'm only up to his knees, but then again, I wasn't a very tall child. He adopts me without even taking me out, and I'm thankful. Although we argue, I can tell within a week of living with him that we get on extremely well. But, sadly enough, it doesn't forever." _Oh no. _

"Who was I even kidding thinking that it would? Good things don't happen to me. I need to rest now, but the story will continue on side two. I look forward to seeing you there!"

The tape silences and the sound of the reels spinning fills my ears again. I slide the headphones off my head and leave them on the table, glancing at my untouched, and now cold, tea and bun before I strip off my clothes, turn off the light and get into my bed. It's fair to say I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight.


	6. Tape 2 - Side 2

**Hi everyone. I'm sorry for another late update, but this is by far the longest chapter I have written for Spiral Tapes yet, so I hope that you can forgive me! I hope you enjoy it and please, as always, review and favourite to let me know how I did. If you would like to check out my other sasunaru fanfiction, Rehab, that'd be great too! s/8064338/1/Rehab It has much longer chapters than this fanfic and I'll be updating it soon.**

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_I'm sat in a small café, huge windows fill the walls and let in the sun, filling the place with light. There's someone sat across from me, but somehow the light is too bright to see their face. I recognise their voice though, not too deep and not too high and just a little rusty. It's comforting. Suddenly we're on in the café any more but laid side by side on my bed. This time it's too dark to see them but I can hear their steady breathing. Their hand trails my face and continues down my neck, chest, stomach all the way to the top of my jeans. I can feel their breathe on my neck and their lips too, pressing little kisses all over. My breathe hitches as their lips go lower, a wet tongue running along my collarbone. And then their lips are on mine and it's like nothing I've ever felt before and I don't realise they're on top of me until several moments after it has happened. A hand unbuckles my jeans and drags them off my legs before breaking our kiss and moving down my body. A pant of breathe at my navel and my boxers feel usually tight. A deep chuckle comes from between my legs as my underwear is removed, tauntingly slowly and-_

I sit up in bed, hair plastered to my forehead and an uncomfortable tightness present down south. I recall my dream and sit for a moment in shock and somewhat disgust at myself. A dream of that kind about the boy on the tapes? I'm at loss for words. What I do know though, is that now would be a really great time for a cold shower.

I push back the covers and get out of bed, opening the curtains a little to let in some light. I cross my room and exit onto the landing, before opening a door a couple of metres down the hallway. Me and Itachi have our own sections of the house, mine being in the east and his in the west. Itachi's is separated into 3 rooms; an office, bathroom and bedroom. Mine is only two, however my bedroom is almost twice the size of my brother's, and my bathroom is slightly larger as well. I enter my bathroom, and wince a little at how cold the tiled floor is. The bathrooms are the only rooms upstairs with tiled floors and so we didn't bother to get underfloor heating as the carpets maintain their warmth without.

I lock the door behind me and drop my boxers, picking them up skillfully with my foot and flinging them across the room and into my laundry basket, a move that has taken me years of practice to perfect. Turning on the shower and twisting the knob so the temperature is almost painfully cold, I step in and bite my tongue as the freezing water pours over me. After a couple of minutes I turn the heat back up a bit and wash my body and hair, before getting out and towelling myself dry. I wrap the towel securely round my waste and make my way back to my room.

Checking the clock to make sure it's not too late, I'm surprised to find it's only 8:30am. It's a Saturday and I don't have any homework, so I decide to get dressed and listen to the other side of the tape. Even though I had some a pretty odd dream, it's only because I have been thinking about the tapes a lot right? I don't even like guys. It's natural to dream about things that are on your mind.

I pull on a baggy black t-shirt with a big white x on the front, along with some acid-wash skinny jeans and a deep red zip up hoodie. I cross the room to my desk and pull out the chair, sitting down and picking up the tape player still lying on my desk. My feelings from last night rush back and I stop for a minute, contemplating whether listening right now is a good idea. After a moment I decide that if I don't listen to it now, I'll probably continue to put it off, and so I pick up the headphones and slip them onto my head, my still slightly damp hair being pushed aside messily. I pop out the tape and flip it over, my fingers running gently along the decorated front, the spirals a little faded from age. I slide the cassette back in and press play, the sound of static on the other now playing in my ears.

"Hello again! I would first like to apologise for my grouchiness last night. I'm not a late night kind of person. Actually, I'm not an early morning person either. Whatever! I'm feeling way better today so I'm sorta looking forward to getting started! Okay so where did we leave off again?" He pauses for a moment and I hear him hum a little, as if thinking.

"Oh yeah, I just got adopted. Okay so the guy who adopted me is called Jiraiya, and the reason he knows me is cause he was my dad's teacher at University! Well, that's how they met anyway, but over the years they became very close friends. He is also my Godfather. He heard of the news that my parents had died whilst he was away travelling, and came back for the funeral, but I wasn't there. He'd being trying to find me ever since, but progress was slow because his job requires him to travel a lot. But now he'd found my location a couple of weeks before my birthday and he had been contacting the kids home trying to organise my adoption without me knowing, as a sort of birthday present."

"Anyways, he adopts me and I love it. It's different to the first couple. Although they were plenty of fun during the day, something about being with Jiraiya makes me so much happier. He teaches me loads of stuff because I haven't had the chance to go to school yet, and tells me about his travels too. After only two months with him I've learnt the alphabet and how to write my name, mam's, dad's and of course, his. I also know how to count to fifty and how to add and a little subtraction. Considering I've never been the brightest of people, he did amazingly well. I can see why him and my dad got on so well at University."

"4 years later and we're still living happily together. I'm approaching 11 now and life is really great. Although I miss my parents sometimes, I was only very young when they died and I have limited memories of them. Jiraiya is a wonderful replacement and I really could not ask for more. I haven't had to go to school because he takes early retirement to look after me full-time and home tutor me. However, just when it seems like we could live this way forever, things take a turn for the worst." _Why can't things go well for you?_

"I take a trip to the shop at the end of our road one day around 4pm. I can't remember what I bought, probably the usual; a newspaper, a cup ramen, two mini fudge fingers and maybe a pack of Pokemon cards if I'm lucky. It takes around half an hour, and I remember when I got home I shouted out to tell him I was back. There wasn't a reply. I thought he might be playing a trick on me so I put my purchases on the side and tip-toe through the kitchen and into the hall, peeking round the corners ready to surprise him at any moment. It doesn't get that far though. A gloved hand grabs me and smothers my mouth so I can't yell out, the other hand twisting my arm behind my back in a painful hold." _Oh christ._

"My heart is beating so fast I think it might explode. The man whispers something I don't hear and a woman steps out from behind him in the hallway and leads the way through the house, towards the front room. I wriggle about as much as I can, trying to break free of his grasp but suddenly I hear the click of a gun and the cold barrel of a pistol is held against my temple. I freeze and stumble as he continues to walk but my legs don't want to move any more. The tears start spilling and I find it hard to think with the cold metal pushing against my head. We get to the front room but we don't stop as the woman moves quickly to the patio doors and slides them silently open. The man moves me forward and I suddenly see Jiraiya at the end of the garden, his back to me as he gardens at his beloved vegetable patch. I want to scream, warn him they're coming, but the gun at my head tells me otherwise."

I pause the tape and stare out of my window, feeling a single tear roll down my cheek. I never thought something like this would affect me, but somehow it's tugging at my emotions so harshly I can't help but feel something. I've never been one to feel sadness at movies, or books, or even when my friends tell me someone close to them has passed away. I have only ever felt my own sorrow, but now, somehow this boy is making all the feelings I locked away inside me rise back to the surface. Every time he speaks of something bad happening, I hear his voice crack a little as if he too is trying to suppress all the emotions from the past. I swallow, my throat dry, and look back at the tape. I know I need to keep listening and there is no point putting it off.

"The woman steps on a twig or a leaf, I can't remember what, and it makes a sound. He turns round and his eyes widen. He scrambles up and is about to run over when the woman draws a knife and holds it against his neck." _Oh god no._

"Now the man speaks." The boy pauses, presumably to calm himself. "He says that Jiraiya has something of his. And that my mother used to have it. And that-" Now I can hear it. He didn't pause to calm himself before: he was crying. And I can hear it now, little sobs and choked breaths fill my ears and my own face scrunches a little in pain. His sobs sound so agonised and angry, my own frustration and sadness at his story feels tiny to what he must be feeling. "That they went in search of my mother to find what she had taken from them, and when they couldn't find it...they burnt my house down." _Wait. Burnt it down? You don't mean..._

"He laughs and says that yes, it was them all those years back who came and killed my parents. Jiraiya screams and the man explains that he's been waiting for the right moment to come for what was stolen from him for 2 years now. He tells Jiraiya to hand over the pendant. He looks confused, Jiraiya doesn't have his pendant. The man pushes the barrel of the gun harder against my head and I begin to visibly shake with fear. 'Tell me where the pendant is, or I will shoot your _beloved_ boy.' is what he says, and although I can't see him, I can almost hear the smirk on his face. That's when Jiraiya loses it, and despite the knife at his throat he throws himself forwards and at the man. But he doesn't get far. Before I have time to blink the cold metal of my captor's gun has left my temple and the sound of a bullet leaving the barrel cracks through-out the area. Jiraiya falls to the ground."

The boy's muffled sobs fill the tape again and I take a moment to breathe. I didn't even realise I was holding my breath. "It's like I can see it in slow motion, but it was still too fast for me to do anything. The man has perfect aim and it's not like Jiraiya was far away anyway. A bullet to the heart, he's dead. Not to mention the gaping wound on the left of his throat where the woman's knife has torn into his skin. I scream against the leather glove still holding tightly onto my mouth, not caring about the gun any more But it seems they've had enough. People will have heard the gunshot and it's a pretty respectable area, they'll know something is up. The man twists my arm violently upwards and pain rips through me as I hear my bone pop and dislocate. I fall to the floor, clutching at my arm as the man and woman walk away."

"After several minutes of lying on the floor in pain, one of the neighbours comes round and calls the ambulance and the cops. I'm whisked away to hospital, and that's when I blacked out. Everything is too much for me. After loosing my parents at such a young age, I was always a little insecure, but now I've lost my second guardian and I can't cope. After my arm is sorted out and I'm given a cast, the police interogate me and ask me for information so they can track down the killers. Then they send me for a mental assessment. I'm diagnosed with moderate depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and I'm given pills to help tackle this. And now, after saying they'll look after me as much as possible, they send me back to a care-home. Not the same one I was at before, but another even further from where I was born. And this one is worse. But I guess I deserved it, in a way." _What?!_

"Because I'm the one who has the pendant. It was a gift from my mother on my first birthday. If I'd have just been there to give it to them when they first asked, maybe my parents would still be alive, and Jiraiya would be as well. But I wasn't. And now the pendant that killed my family hangs around my neck everyday as a reminder of what I've done." His voice cracks again and I hear him sniff, but he continues quickly.

"But I guess that's enough for today, you're probably getting a bit bored of listening right?" _I'm not!_ "Then I've got another little challenge for you! It's time to go find the next tape. This time it's not going to be so easy. You're going to have to travel a little. About an thirty minutes out of town, if you take the A9 main road, there is a small turn off marked 'Daisy Gardens'. It sounds stupid, but once you get there, you'll see why. There's a bird box at field 2, it's got a big orange spiral painted on the top. Inside you'll find the next tape. Good luck, I'll see you there!"


End file.
